Trans & Gender Diverse Swim

Trans & Gender Diverse Swim The Trans and Gender Diverse Swim Sessions offer
a relaxed, inclusive space where everyone is welcome on a self-ID basis.

Use any changing room you prefer, wear any swimwear, no tucking required for trans women, open chest swimming ok. 16+; trans only.

23/05/2026

Just a quick update on the issues that a few people have raised concerns about vis-a-vis when cis people were let into the Sunday session a few weeks' back...had a good chat with a deputy manager yesterday and will be talking to our usual manager this weeek. It appears there's been some confusion from some staff about what the term 'gender diverse' implies. They've been taking 'Trans and Gender-Diverse People' to effectively mean 'mainly trans but also any other LGB person' ie 'general diversity'! I should say that this term came from the pool itself, but from a trans perspective this tends to mean 'gender diverse but on a trans spectrum' - and it very definitely relates to gender identity and not sexual orientation. To be clear, despite this confusion on the part of some pool staff and perhaps also attendees, the sessions have always very clearly been for people on a trans spectrum only and not cis allies, so please ensure everyone knows this as it does seem that some of the cis people attending have been brought in by their trans friends. Every place taken by a cis person is a place a trans person can't take. While trans people are apparently still not able to access mainstream pools and changing rooms wearing swim wear appropriate to them, these sessions are a lifeline. I say apparently because Swim England have removed that pernicious 'advice on swimwear' from their website (so perhaps our 300-signature petition worked to a point!) however nothing clear has replaced it and given the EHRC's latest recommendations we are keeping a close eye on what is replacing it). Cis allies, however lovely and cool some might be, do not have this barrier in mainstream. At the moment this is trans swimmers' only protected space. Please respect this. Thanks all.

15/05/2026

Hi All, Our usual manager at the Centre has been on annual leave for a few weeks and in her absence some confusion appears to have arisen with the deputy and reception about what 'Trans and Gender Diverse People' actually means ie. on a couple of occasions they've been letting cis allies in with the idea that the session is 'inclusive'. I have made it very clear this is not the case. The sessions are and have always been for trans and gender diverse people only, and while we expect reception staff to just welcome people in and accept their attendance without query or comment, the life-guarding staff are well-trained and supportive and on hand for anyone to ask for support if they feel someone's behaviour or comments in the sessions raises concerns. Our usual manager is now back and I will be meeting with her this week to sort this out and ensure the usual conditions are restored. A couple of attendees have however told me that on Sundays there appear to be some trans people actively bringing their cis friends in and that this is affecting their feelings of comfort in the Sunday session. I am concerned about this so am putting this out in the community to politely ask that trans attendees please don't do this. The sessions are exclusively for trans and gender diverse people only. If you bring cis friends in, every place they take in the pool is space a trans person can't take. However much your cis friends may be fine and cool with you, it doesn't mean other trans people will be comfortable with them. It can create imbalances in the sessions and exclusions for others. These sessions are the only sessions we trans and gender diverse people can swim in swimwear that is totally comfortable for us without restrictions that exist in the main pool, and the environment is a safe space. The sessions are run totally on a self-ID basis with no crieria or entry requirements - they're run on trust that the people who attend are trans or gender-diverse and have need of this space. If you have cis ally friends who want to swim with you and other trans people, please attend the mainstream sessions so those spaces can be safer and inclusive, also consider asking cis allies known to you to actively challenge Swim England's current restrictions on trans people's swimwear which is a major barrier we are still facing hence the need for separate sessions. There are only 2 opportunities a week for us at present and the sessions mean a lot. Please respect this. I'll update everyone on my meeting with management after it's happened. Thanks, Art x

27/04/2026

Hiya, I haven't been at the sessions for a while due to health and work issues, but understand this morning that there were some issues at yesterday's session when reception let cisgender people in the training pool, some of whom were making ignorant and transphobic comments. I'm absolutely horrified this has happened and have been straight onto it this morning with the manager to ask her to look with urgency into what happened with this. If you were there please can you let me know anything you wish to share about it. I am so sorry this has happened. Will update when I hear back. Please be reassured I'm not letting this one rest until I get a full picture of what happened and that the centre ensures this doesn't happen again. Hope everyone's ok. Love Art x

21/03/2026

Swimming on tomorrow as usual, still many spaces available. Look under 'Training Pool' and find the date to book. x

31/01/2026

I was so delighted when I went swimming on Thursday after being off for a couple of weeks to learn that last Sunday's Trans and Gender Diverse session was not just filled to formal capacity but had more turning up on the door who the staff let in. It shows what many of us have been saying all along that trans people really want to swim but are being held back by barriers including those in Swim England's policy on swimwear in main sessions. If the numbers for Sunday keep at this level pool staff say we'll be able to start planning a second Sunday session along with the Thursdays. Thursday take-up is still lower but there are enough people regularly attending those and these will continue on the calendar. However if you can make a Thursday ever please do try it on that day so we can keep those numbers up too! The staff are also planning to start Trans Gym sessions on a Sunday - more on this soon. Regarding the booking system, this is still irritatingly on the new system where you have to find swimming then training pool then the date to find and book the session, however the management at the centre have been talking to their head office to get this changed as this system, while working for some smaller centres, doesn't work for this (our) one (in part because the drop-down menu doesn't actually name their main pools as they're actually named)! They also see the benefits of actually naming what sessions are on to help promote the range of things they offer! So hopefully this will be changed back soon. On this note tomorrow's session (1st Feb) still has 7 place available so if you're planning on coming book soon. Stay well beautiful people. Love Art ###

28/01/2026

Swimming on tomorrow as usual, still many spaces available. Look under 'Training Pool' and find the date to book. See you there x

17/01/2026

Hi All, Just an update. Tomorrow's Trans and Gender Diverse Swim session is definitely on tomorrow, Sunday 18th January, 1-2pm and there are spaces available. I won't be there as Ms Menopause is doing her thing, and I've suddenly got a period for the first time in months out of the blue! (Apols if this is TMI for some...but you know... older gay trans man etc...we're very blunt! ).Anyway! The issue with the booking system continues as it looks like GLL who are one of the partners managing the Aquatics centre, have changed all their systems to only advertising the pools rather than the different sessions, which is not ideal and the staff at the pool have already raised the iaccess and marketing issues of this with them. For the time being, when you book, the link will take you to a list of swimming pools. Choose 'Training Pool' and then choose the date you want to go and when you go there it'll then say Trans and Gender Diverse Swim. Please remember that the booking only opens 4 days' ahead - so if you want to go on Thursday, wait until Sunday before to book, and if on a Sunday, wait to book until Thursday. I'm writing to Customer Services at GLL to request they put the booking system back to the way it was before Christmas so we can book by session title and not via the pool it's in (because as well as being better access-wise, it actually advertises to anyone looking at the swimming sessions that these are on!!). However if anyone also wants to contact Customer Srvices at GLL about it, here are the details - email: [email protected] and telephone: 0330 123 1500. Have fun all who are going, and see you soon. Love, Art x

14/01/2026

Re Trans & Gender Diverse Swim - sorry for the ongoing issues - sent this today to the centre - will let you know when I hear back,

'I'm getting lots of messages about the Booking system which apparently is still not showing the Tans and Gender Diverse Swim sessions in the format that was being used before Christmas, and people keep asking me if the sessions are being cancelled. I've had a look and the drop-down menu still just lists the different pools and only gives the session if you go directly to the training pool and then directly to the date. It's pretty unclear and inaccessible, also all the marketing and messages we put out give different information, also it means the direct url link we've put on all the posters isn't working. When I booked last night there were still 30 spaces available, and I'm worried that the continued issue with the booking process is going to halt the good progress we've made on getting people to the sessions.

Will this be fixed soon please and put back to where the drop-down menu displays the different swim sessions on rather than the different pools?

Thanks very much.

Best wishes
Art'

08/01/2026

Swimming is on this Thursday 8th but the booking link is not back to its usual format yet so to book go to 'Training Pool' under the swimming sessions, click on that and choose Thursday's date and the Trans and Gender Diverse Swim link is under that.

06/01/2026

Hi all - reply from the Aquatics Centre - technical blip should be resolved by tomorrow- see reply here.

Hi Art,

Thank you for the email.

Sorry, I have spoken with the manager and it may have crashed or something while the app and system have been getting updated.

The sessions will be going ahead as normal and should be on the app either this evening or tomorrow for people to book

06/01/2026

Hi All, Happy New Year! Apologies for the delay in replying to messages - I've been away and not looking at social networking over the holiday period, also don't have a smart phone, only a nokia, so only access social networking when at a pc which means it takes a bit longer. However, the sessions are still ongoing on Thursdays and Sundays at the usual times, however there are some problems with the booking system at the Manchester Aquatic centre, and I'm trying to get an answer from them about when this will be resolved so please watch this space for further info, and I'll update soon. Love, Art xx

Address

Manchester Aquatics Centre/2 Booth Street E
Manchester
M139SS

Opening Hours

Thursday 1:30pm - 2:30pm
Sunday 1pm - 2pm

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